UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has announced that its 91st UFI Global Congress will be held in Cologne, Germany. It will be hosted by Koelnmesse, and take place from 20-23 November 2024.
The Congress will be hosted in the new Confex Congress Center at Koelnmesse, one of the most modern trade fair centers in Europe. As a city fair in the heart of Europe, the venue occupies the third-largest exhibition center in Germany and, with nearly 400,000m2 of indoor and outdoor space, is among the top ten in the world. With more than one million inhabitants, Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany and is one of the most important and popular tourist destinations in Europe.
UFI President, Monica Lee-Müller, says: “What a way for me to end my turn as the UFI president – being able to share the news that our association’s biggest event will return to Cologne, one of UFI’s 20 founding members, in 2024. Cologne won the bid against strong competition from around the world. After Muscat this year and Las Vegas in 2023, this is certainly another world class destination.“
CEO of Koelnmesse, Gerald Böse, says: “In 2024, we will celebrate 100 years of Koelnmesse. Thus, 2024 will be the year when tradition and future come together in a very special way. The time and place will be just right for another major event of our industry. Be part of it and celebrate together with us in the circle of our worldwide trade fair family. We cannot wait to welcome you in Cologne.”
The UFI Global Congress is the “must attend” event for the exhibition industry, as the largest global meeting of the year, which gathers hundreds of industry leaders from around the world to network and to learn. A testament to the global footprint of UFI, it is taking place in different regions around the world each year.
The UFI Global Congress takes place in October or November every year in trade show destinations around the world. Following this year’s Congress in Muscat (Sultanate of Oman), the event will move on to Las Vegas (USA) for 2023, where it will take place from 1-4 November, 2023. Recent hosts include Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Bangkok (Thailand), St. Petersburg (Russia), Johannesburg (South Africa), Shanghai (China), Milan (Italy), Bogota (Colombia), and Seoul (South Korea).
Germany – one of the world’s top three exhibition markets – has hosted the UFI Congress a number of times already, last in 2002, when the event was held in Munich.
Open to more than 50,000 industry professionals globally, who work for UFI member companies, UFI Global Congress combines international networking with unique content. It’s an opportunity to gain insight into topics of strategic interest, to learn about new trends, and to discuss the challenges facing the exhibition industry.
